Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 services tested
We tested 4 registered agent services for Montana. Northwest Registered Agent is our pick: $125 first year, then $125/yr.
By Jon Morgan · Fact-checked by Jon Tobin, Business Attorney · How we test
Northwest Registered Agent
$125 first year, then $125/yrFree first year with its $39 LLCGet Northwest's agent service (opens in a new tab)
ZenBusiness
$99 first year, then $199/yrHalf price in year one when you switch to ZenBusiness (state fee extra)See ZenBusiness agent plan (opens in a new tab)
Harbor Compliance
$99 first year, then $159/yrFor new customersSee Harbor Compliance agent plan (opens in a new tab)Prices checked November 5, 2026.
We compared registered-agent pricing, documented features, and account observations for Montana founders. Our tests covered different service steps by provider, including LLC formation and active-agent account access where available.
Northwest Registered Agent remains our top pick. ZenBusiness ranks second at 4.7/5 for its guided platform and stronger public customer-review score, while Harbor Compliance ranks third at 4.6/5 and remains a strong option for multi-state compliance.
Skip the first-year number on the table below and look at the renewal price instead. That's the figure that actually repeats on your card once any opening discount runs out.
| Service | Agent price | RA bundled with formation | Service features | Score | Compare offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $125 first year, then $125/yrFree first year with its $39 LLC | Yes (free first year with formation) | • Same-day scans of legal and state mail • Business address stands in on the filing • Free paperwork for an incoming agent switch | 4.9 | Get agent service (opens in a new tab) |
| $99 first year, then $199/yrHalf price in year one when you switch to ZenBusiness (state fee extra) | No (discounted first year with formation) | • Same-day scans emailed to dashboard • State-notice monitoring through the account • Overnight delivery for urgent mail | 4.7 | See plan (opens in a new tab) |
| $99 first year, then $159/yrFor new customers | No (sold separately) | • Entity Manager Software across states • Same-day document delivery • Pre-filled forms cut repeat data entry | 4.6 | See plan (opens in a new tab) |
 | $249 first year, then $249/yr | No | • Compliance Calendar reminders • Scanned documents to account • Unlimited cloud storage | 4.4 | See plan (opens in a new tab) |
Prices checked November 5, 2026.
Each score combines support, price, features, privacy and security, compliance alerts and user ratings.
Refund: 90 days
Northwest Registered Agent put an entity ID and a coverage start date on the dashboard the moment the order finished. There was no generic welcome screen first.
Moving an LLC over from another agent ran entirely inside that same account. Nothing had to be printed, signed or mailed anywhere on our end.
Every legal document that reached the office showed up as a same-day scan, filed next to whatever came before it rather than buried in an inbox.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60 days
ZenBusiness asked whether we wanted registered agent coverage during LLC formation checkout. The coverage carried a discounted first-year rate rather than coming free.
Even after we moved past that screen without adding it, the account's Compliance tab kept an "Appoint ZenBusiness" prompt sitting next to the Registered Agent tile, ready whenever we changed our mind.
The provider keeps its own address narrow in scope. It stands in for legal and state mail only, never a general business or mailing address.
Pros
Cons
Our Harbor Compliance assessment covered direct Q&A and a pricing and signup-wizard walkthrough, without a paid registered-agent order.
The provider describes Entity Manager as a dashboard for tracking compliance across multiple states; we did not test live document delivery.
Harbor Compliance says the service includes secure document storage and Entity Manager access. Fees apply per state, so compare the full order total when adding several registered offices.
Document storage carried no added charge in our account, regardless of how long it stayed open or how many files piled up inside it.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60 days
Most owners already recognize the LegalZoom name, yet its LLC formation checkout never once offered us a registered agent to add on.
LegalZoom's own filings name United States Corporation Agents, Inc. as the entity behind the familiar brand, a wholly owned subsidiary rather than an outside vendor.
Montana wants an agent on file the moment paperwork is submitted, so a checkout that skips the question is worth flagging before anyone commits to a plan.
Pros
Cons
Our testing methodology combines provider research with account observations where access was available.
The ZenBusiness test purchased LLC formation only, without activating its paid registered-agent service; the Harbor Compliance assessment covered direct Q&A and a pricing and signup-wizard walkthrough without a paid order.
We average six numeric categories equally to calculate each overall score, rounding the result to one decimal place. The separate Montana Fit subsection adds context and is not a seventh numeric score.
ZenBusiness's six scores average 4.700/5; Harbor Compliance's average 4.633/5, giving displayed overall scores of 4.7 and 4.6, respectively.
Northwest Registered Agent leads this category outright, with ZenBusiness scoring 4.8 and Harbor Compliance scoring 4.7 behind Northwest’s 5.0, while LegalZoom finishes last in this category with a still-workable score.
Renewal price matters more than the signup discount when comparing recurring costs. Harbor Compliance renews at $159 per year, compared with ZenBusiness at $199 per year, so Harbor earns the higher Price score: 4.7 versus 4.6.
Their current introductory rates both start at $99. Compare the final checkout total and any formation or multi-year conditions before deciding how much the first year will cost.
Northwest Registered Agent has the highest Features score at 4.8, while ZenBusiness and Harbor Compliance each score 4.7. Northwest's forms library and handling of agent-change paperwork add practical value beyond receiving documents.
Harbor Compliance's Entity Manager stands out for tracking registrations in multiple states, while ZenBusiness provides guided account tools through Velo. Those different strengths may matter more to an individual owner than the small numerical gap.
Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance share the highest Privacy and Security score at 4.9, while ZenBusiness scores 4.7.
We considered documented address-use policies and secure document handling alongside the account observations available to us.
An agent's address can replace a personal address in the registered-agent field, but it does not remove information required elsewhere on state filings.
ZenBusiness explicitly limits its agent address to legal and state mail, rather than general business correspondence.
Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance each score 4.9 for Compliance Alerts, while ZenBusiness scores 4.6. We considered the clarity and availability of deadline reminders; managed filing services, when offered, may carry a separate charge.
Public customer reviews are one input in our comparison, alongside service features and account observations. ZenBusiness earns a 4.8 User Ratings score; Harbor Compliance earns 3.9.
These are editorial category scores derived from the review snapshot checked on October 2, 2026, rather than ratings of a state-specific office.
ZenBusiness's score combines Trustpilot's 4.8/5 from 32,767 reviews and BBB's 4.04/5 from 817 customer reviews, weighted by review count. The result is 4.78/5, rounded to 4.8.
Harbor Compliance's score uses Trustpilot's 3.1/5 from 53 reviews, BBB's 1.0/5 from 8 customer reviews, and Birdeye's 4.2/5 from 245 Google reviews. The same weighting gives 3.93/5, rounded to 3.9.
Review counts and invitation practices differ across platforms, so these samples are not directly comparable measures of service quality.
BBB customer-review averages are separate from its business letter grades; Harbor's own site also reports a separate Google sample of 4.3/5 from 212 reviews.
Montana's Annual Report currently carries no fee for an on-time LLC filer through 2027, so the registered agent renewal stands as the bigger recurring cost on this page rather than a state filing charge.
Naming a noncommercial agent, including yourself, requires that person's consent before the state accepts the filing, a step Montana spells out separately from the commercial-agent listing process.
No local Montana firm made this lineup, so every one of the four names above operates nationwide. That pushes renewal price and document-handling speed higher up the decision than they would rank somewhere with a strong local option.
Standalone annual rates among these providers start at $125 and reach about $249 per year, excluding quarterly billing, prepaid discounts and paid membership requirements.
ZenBusiness starts at $99 and renews at $199; Harbor Compliance starts at $99 and renews at $159.
Naming yourself as agent skips the fee entirely, as long as you keep a real Montana street address on file and can be reached there.
Montana bills its own Annual Report on a completely separate track from a provider's registered agent charge.
The report currently costs nothing for an on-time LLC filer through 2027, and paying more for an agent won't change that state bill either way.
Formation costs are a separate question from the agent fee covered here. Our best LLC services in Montana guide breaks down that full setup cost if you're pricing more than just this one piece.
Northwest Registered Agent will draft and file this switch-over paperwork for you as part of signing up, which removes the whole step from your own to-do list.
Yes. Every Montana LLC has to keep one on file continuously, regardless of how small the business is or what industry it's in.
Yes, as long as you're a Montana resident with a real street address there and can be reached during normal business hours.
Its role is narrow: accept service of process and official state notices, then forward them right away. Tax filings and licensing sit outside that duty.
Standalone annual rates on this list start at $125 and reach about $249, excluding prepaid discounts, with first-year promotions starting at $99.
File a Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office with the Secretary of State online. There's no fee to file.
Yes. Every Montana LLC files one by April 15, and the state has waived the standard fee for on-time filers through 2027.
Any of the four names here satisfies what Montana legally requires of a registered agent.
Where they actually diverge is turnaround speed on a real document, whether that renewal figure ever moves, and how much of the compliance load still lands on the owner.
Northwest Registered Agent earns the top spot because being a registered agent is the whole business rather than a side feature bolted onto something bigger.
Harbor Compliance is our third overall choice and remains a strong option for multi-state compliance, with document storage included throughout the subscription.
Northwest Registered Agent is also the cheapest pick once first-year numbers settle, though Harbor Compliance earns its higher price if a business already operates in several states.
ZenBusiness suits an owner who wants the agent offer to resurface after declining once.
ZenBusiness is our second overall choice at 4.7/5, combining guided account tools with the stronger public customer-review score.
Harbor Compliance ranks third at 4.6/5 and is still the specialist pick for owners tracking compliance across multiple states.
References
Our verdict
$125 first year, then $125/yr. 90-day money-back guarantee.
Prices checked November 5, 2026.